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I don't either. But I do think 2016 and 2017 post-season results are a better barometer than 2013 post-season results, for what that's worth...

I don't have much faith in either, but I trust Kelly more with the game on the line. He defintely has more experience in that department in the regular season and the post-season, and he has had his successes. His cold streaks tha turn everyone off to him are typicaly a small number of IPs. That's no guarantee he can turn it on and get hot this month. But we all do know that if he does, he is the guy the Sox need out there. The sox biggest weakness is the bullpen, At this point, all the pitchers in the Sox bullpen not named Craig are gambles. I think I go with the gamble that has the highest payout...

The only reason he keeps re-surfacing is, if the Sox do need an outfielder from the farm system he is the only viable candidate. The complete dearth of MLB-ready outfielders in the Sox system is certainly a reason to keep the present outfield intact. We'll see how this plays out after the post-season..

He might simply be the mop up guy. Bring him in if you're down big early. If he holds the opposing hitters long enough for the Sox to get back in the game, great. And if the Sox never make a game of it, at least the other relievers don't get burned out chasing an unwinnable game...

Workman had a terrific post-season 5 years ago (0.00 ERA 1.14 WHIP in 8.2 IP), but Kelly also has a good post-season resume (3.03 ERA 1.21 WHIP in 35.2 IP, including 4 starts). Kelly's worst postseason was done in 2013 (the same year as Workman's only postseason) when he made those 4 starts, a role Boston will not be using him in. He has given the Red Sox 6.1 shutout IP in the past 2 seasons. Let's not focus on Workman's postseason success while ignoring Kelly's more recent post-season success...

Understandable, but who do you have more confidence in in that situation - Kelly, Hembree or Workman?

They could bring him up, and maybe another GM would. but not Dombrowski, who was not impressed with Castillo 4 years ago, and probably isn't going to re-think his position now that Castillo is almost 31...

Pretty much what I said in the last line of the post. I see the merit in the idea, but I wouldn't recommend it...

The A's knew they weer notorious underdogs and it gave Melvin free reign to be creative, which, if it worked, immediately labeled him a managerial genius. But in doing so, he forgot what got him 97 wins in the first place. While his decision was essentially going with his team's strength up front, he still essentially over-thought the entire situation...

At first, I thought this plan was stupid. Wirght for 2 innings and then Sale? You only throw a few hitters off balance for 1 plate appearance, and then its' business as usual. But the more I thought about it, there is some merit, since it would ideally be the first 6 (and presumably the best 6) Yankee hitters. and if Wright can get through the top 2 as close to cleanly as possible, it might have enough of an effect to throw them off for their second PA as well. While no real plan can ruin some of these top tier MLB hitters for an entire game, taking them down and messing them up for 2 PAs can be significant. Of course, if Wright gets hammered in the first two innings, it doesn't matter much...

Cora has probably known who they are for two weeks. What he has to do now is tell the press...

And while a plan I'm on board with, the question is - is Dombrowski on board? He has turned down requests for JBJ in the past, as we know Encarnacion and Puig were both offered for him. But on the other hand, he is rapidly running out of tradable commodities, and that we know of at least two (and there were probably more) offers for JBJ does certainly show other teams also want him. The Sandoval and Hanley money is a good start to being able to keep Bradley, but even then, myself and several others have openly stated we would not re-sign Kimbrel, but let's get real here. DD is going to make a significant and likely successful effort to bring back Kimbrel. I just don't see DD letting his first significant acquisition in turning this last lace team into a 3-time AL East champion walk away for a mere $100mill. So, if DD does re-sign Kimbrel and spend most if not all of his allowance to do so, any other improvements will have to be made via trade. With two years left, JBJ does become his best trading chip without doing anything stupid (like trading Betts). And as we have all seen, this is a man not afraid to make trades...

And that’s ok. It’s easier to get two defensive CF types than to find another Dwight Evans. But, while I’m not on the “trade JBJ” bandwagon, it certainly is a realistic possibility, and that does likely mean someone else who is not a CF would take over RF. Fortunately, while your thought has an advantage, we have at least seen it isn’t a necessity. Because if Martinez moves back to the outfield, there might be a noticeable drop off in defense...

Scioscia is about as robotic as it gets for a manager...

The Sox did re-acquire Miller as part of the Burleson trade - the only trade that management made that wasn’t completely horrific. I’m surprised they didn’t trade Jim Rice for a backup catcher, now that I think about it...

2 pounds of cole slaw. The good stuff. No pineapple...

True, although Cater apparently did not work out, but at least he was a full time player and a respectable hitter. The deals that broke up those 1970's teams were simply atrocious. I know Don Zimmer wanted a few players gone like Lee and Jim Willoughby and a couple others, but honestly, was the best deal the Sox could get for Lee a utility infielder? We've all seen teams deal malcontent players before and get much better returns. The Cubs had one of the biggest headcases on the planet making premium money at the time in Milton Bradley, and even they got more than a utility infielder in return. Those late 1970's Red Sox teams unloaded Fisk, Lynn, Burleson, Willoughby, Reggie Cleveland, Butch Hobson, George Scott, and Bernie Carbo and in return the only starter they got back was Carney Lansford (although Mark Clear and Rick Miller were useful players, but were also acquired in the same deal as Lansford). And really given the number of players he had trouble controlling, why didn't anyone decide maybe Zimmer was the problem?

So where will he be working next April?

It might be the only way to inflate his trade value. Letting him play has done nothing for it...

The Lynn deal was so stupid. Who was that awful GM? "Hey' let's trade our 28 year old former MVP for a washed up cranky outfielder, a crappy minor league pitcher whose responsible for more hits than the Beatles, and what's left of Frank Tanana!! Too stupid? OK, we should throw in Steve Renko, who is actually the second best player in this deal. Now it makes sense!" What was the reason behind this deal? Did Lynn sleep with someone's wife or something? Did the Angels' GM take hostages and this was his ransom demand? Were GMs really this stupid back in the late 70s and early 80s? Or was it just ours? This one is almost as dumb as trading Bill Lee straight up for Stan Papi. When you look back at the series of incredibly lop-sided trades that broke up those 1970's teams, it is easy to understand why it took so long to win anything. The Sox weren't "cursed." They were just run by morons...

Travis? Really? Why on Earth would the Sox need Sam Travis?

I brought Evans in because when I think of best Sox outfields, Rice-Lynn-Evans is the first thing that jumps to mind. And I can see the advantages of having a CF in RF at Fenway. I just couldn't think of too many former CF's or players capable of playing CF who have played out there regularly. Betts and Victorino both did, but beyond that, I'm stumped. Usually, when someone makes a statement like that, they have someone in mind. If it was just Betts, I can see that. He's a great example. If Victorino was additional support, OK. But since those two don't encompass a ton of years out in RF, I figured you had someone in mind i was missing or played before my time...

Haven’t you ever read “Hichhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”? To paraphrase, the universe will sort itself out, but the biggest issue with time travel is grammar. When it comes to altering timelines, Douglas Adams trumps Robert Zemeckis...

Stop being so defensive. Your point was the best Sox outfields have always had a RF capable of playing CF. Dwight Evans was a RF on what has to be considered one of, if not the best, outfields in this team's history, with Rice-Lynn-Evans. Hopefully you can agree Evans never established himself as a capable CF and his defensive abilities out there are at the very least, in question. Right? His defensive abilities in RF are without question - one of the best ever to play the position in MLB. So beyond this season where Betts has shown himself to be play RF and CF well above average, I wonder what other Sox outfields you are referring to. I am not so sure I can think of any other great Sox outfields where the RF was a even a capable CF, unless you were referring to Ramirez-Damon-Nixon, which was a good OF, but certainly no Rice-Lynn-Evans. Maybe Gomes/Nava-Ellsbury-Victorino? Certainly Victornio was an excellent CF before playing RF in Boston. But I would be very hesitant to rank taht among the best outfields on thjis team. Although they did win a ring, which shouldn''t be ignored. But I'm not really sure what outfields you were referring to...

In this alternate reality, did 2007 and 2013 not happen?